Trey's tone (to my ears) this tour is grittier and more overdriven than I've heard it. He has struggled to control his feedback now and then (see Alpharetta 2001, where the long sustained notes would howl out before he wanted them to.) But as M Thorne observed at Raleigh, he at least nailed it for the Note in YEM.

Proof of life: Lucas, M Thorne, Cymbop
A guy at the hotel post-show had grabbed this off the stage after Raleigh. Seems they're neither playing a straight setlist not flying willy-nilly, but rather working from a palette of sorts. Some these tunes even ppeared Set 2 for us. Joy, Sugar Shack, and Stash obvs just dropped tonight. Use this as your cheat sheet to make Jedi calls in Set 2 tonight.
Regarding Raleigh V Alph 3, McGregor: they're like one's children. Two A-grade shows. If I had a preference, I wouldn't even admit to it. (Okay, I had more fun at Raleigh. Just a little extra goodness in the air.)

Any guesses about the horn-shaped thingie that's been on a table next to Mike all week and seems lit from within?
My wild guess is a plasma tweeter akin to this thing I've heard at hi-fi shows, but I think I'm wrong.

I was there, but don't remember Mike leaving the stage. I think it was more Trey implying that Mike had been musically absent from the set, and was finally getting his shit back together.
Yeah, crummy show in Raleigh. Charlotte always gets the heat.